The Tampa Bay Lightning got a signature Friday afternoon, but it wasn’t the one they wanted the most.
No, it wasn’t Steven Stamkos. It wasn’t even holdout rookie Jonathan Drouin.
It was, instead, defenseman Braydon Coburn.
Tampa Bay signed Coburn, 30, to a three-year deal that will keep him from being a free agent this summer. The deal is good for $3.7 million per season.
Coburn has played in 60 games with the Lightning this season, recording one goal and nine points to go along with 45 penalty minutes. He ranks tied for fourth on the club for plus/minus with a plus-8 rating. Coburn also ranks third on the club for both hits (90) and blocked shots (69). Since being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in a trade last season, Coburn has skated in 64 regular season games with the Lightning, posting a goal and 11 points.
The 6-foot-5, 226-pound defenseman skated in 26 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Lightning last season, notching a goal and four points. He netted the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the first round against the Detroit Red Wings. Coburn also appeared in all six Stanley Cup Final games for the Bolts.
He ranked fourth on the Lightning for blocked shots (32) and penalty minutes (21) during the postseason.
